Fisherman or Friend?
by Black Raider
Summary: Shifu goes to war and is lost. For years, his students mourn for him. On a boating trip, Viper is thrown overboard and lost at sea. What will she discover when she is rescued by a kind fisherman? T for blood and violence
1. War

_Italicized words in this chapter are parts to Shifu's letters._

Fisherman or Friend?

Chapter One- War

It was only a year after Tai Lung's defeat that Master Shifu was called away to serve the Emperor in the war. In pained the Five and Po to see their master leave them, but Shifu had insisted that it was an honor. So three days later, after packing some clothes, food Po had prepared, and a sword his father had owned, Shifu parted with his students at the bottom of the Jade Palace steps. As he hopped into the wagon, he smiled and waved goodbye as he took off.

Every day, the Five and Po missed their master. But they kept up on their training. Almost every week, they received letters from Shifu, telling them about what it was like. The first few letters or so were mostly about the days of him training the new recruits.

_Because of my experience in kung fu and teaching, I have been charged with teaching the newest soldiers. I wish you could be here to see them. They don't have much experience, but I think I can whip them into shape. _

_*****_

_It's been a week, and these soldiers haven't really improved at all. Reminds me of Po when he first came here. _("Hey!" Po cried.) _I can't wait to step things up a little._

_*****_

_It's taken three weeks, but I've finally been able to teach these soldiers how to fight. The captain says that with a little more training, we can actually go out on the front line. Wish me luck!_

The Five and Po were happy Shifu was alright. But a month later, they received a pretty bad letter.

_It seems I have to take the new soldiers into battle sooner than expected. Our enemy has ambushed and killed almost half of the army attacking. So we need to take our soldiers and they need to help attack. Wish me luck and pray that we stay safe. I can only hope that what I've taught these men can help._

The rest of Shifu's letters was his experience in the battlefield. They mostly told of his popularity amongst the soldiers. Apparently, Shifu was telling a lot of stories about his victories against bandits and villains. For the next two months, it seemed like Shifu was having a great time and the Emperor's army seemed to be winning the war.

Then, things took a turn for the worse.

The next time Shifu sent a letter, it came in two weeks after the previous. Shifu told that the enemy army was attacking with a more brutal force. People were dying, and Shifu's letters got darker.

_Many soldiers here have been kind to me, and they are suffering. They come back from the battlefield covered in blood and wounds. I usually have to help the doctor heal them. I'm always trying to offer something to help them, but they refuse. They remind me of you all. I'm just thankful that these brave men come back alive._

After that, everything just kept coming downhill. In all of Shifu's letters, he could only talk about how people were getting hurt and dying. After a full year away from home and in war, Shifu sent one of the worst letters he had sent. Apart from its contents, it was scarcely half a page long.

_I apologize for the short letter, but it was all I had time for._

_I wish I was home. It's terrible here. At the end of the day, I'm covered with small wounds like cuts and bruises. But I'm also covered in blood; that of my enemies I've slain, and that of friends and fellow soldiers slaughtered before my eyes. I sleep in the cold dirt because my bed was burned; the enemy tried to burn the bunkhouse down. _

_We have to defeat the enemy soon. So far, our only hope is to defeat the enemy's leader. As a friend once told me: if you kill a tribe of birds, you get a tree. If you kill the king of birds, you get the whole forest._

_I'm terribly homesick. I want to be home and watch you all train and grow. My heart hurts from all the pain and suffering I've seen and experienced here. I hope to come home soon. Train hard and pray for me and my fellow soldiers._

_P.S. I may not be able to write again for a long time, so don't be too worried._

Shifu didn't write again for another whole year. When the Five and Po got the letter, they jumped and cheered with joy. It was short, sweet, and to the point, but it was the best they've gotten in two years.

_I have defeated the enemy's leader. Well, defeated is a little of an understatement. More like I took my sword and gutted him like a fish! I can't wait to be home. I hope to hear good things about you all from the servants and the villagers. Keep training, and I'll be home in three days, but it won't be until dinner. I believe you'll be happy to know that I have gifts for each of you._

So on the third day, when Shifu was supposed to be home, the Five and Po spent the morning training and the afternoon preparing for their master's arrival. Po cooked a good breakfast and a delicious dessert. The Five went about and cleaned up the Jade Palace. When the evening rolled around, all of them, minus Crane, waited in the kitchen for their master. Crane was at the gate to the palace, waiting for their master to return.

But they waited for quite a few hours. Then, the hours started to slowly and agonizingly tick away. Po, Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, and Viper, who had once been jumping in their seats with excited anticipation, were slowly drifting off into boredom. Po had to constantly reheat the food, and not even Monkey and Mantis' jokes could bring up the mood. Eventually, they all fell asleep, even Crane, who had gone to the bottom of the palace steps to wait for Shifu.

The next morning, Crane woke up first, and he stood up, brushed himself off, and waited once more for their master. He was beginning to think that he and the others had gotten the days mixed up in their anticipation when a kindly old wolf walked up to him. He was carrying two scrolls and a chest.

"Are you the famed Master Crane of the Furious Five?" he asked.

"Yes, who are you?" Crane asked.

"I am a soldier and messenger of the Emperor's army." The wolf said, bowing. "I was told to deliver these to you." The wolf handed Crane the chest and scrolls. Crane opened the one that was sealed with the Emperor's seal, indicating it was an important document. Crane unrolled it and read it in his head.

"_Dear Furious Five and Dragon Warrior,_

_We hate to bring the bad news, but Master Shifu, guardian of the Valley of Peace, headmaster of the Jade Palace, and the greatest kung fu teacher in all of China…."_

Crane stopped and stared at the wolf with horror. "….has died in battle?"

"I apologize." The wolf said. "The other scroll and the chest are from Shifu." With that, the wolf bowed low, and he walked off sadly. Crane took the scrolls and the chest in his feet and flew off quickly to the palace. He found everyone awake and waiting in the kitchen.

"Is Shifu here?" Viper asked. Crane said nothing as he tossed the official scroll to Tigress. Tigress read it out loud, and everyone gasped.

"He….died?" Po said.

"But, the war is over." Monkey said. "How could he die?"

"Maybe the carriage was attacked." Tigress said.

"Or maybe some of the enemy soldiers ambushed him." Mantis said.

"Who knows?" Crane said bitterly. He set the other scroll and the chest on the table. "But Shifu left us these." Tigress took the scroll and opened it. She read it out loud.

_Dear students,_

_If you are reading this, I am dead, and I pray you all can forgive me for my sudden leave. I have in the chest before you the gifts I had promised. As you are reading this, I advise the reader of this letter to take out the gifts and hand them out._

_For Crane, a shield used by my best student at the training grounds during the war. He used it well in battle. After the war, he told me he was going to go back to his peaceful home and would have no need for it. So I pass it on to you, for you deflect weapons and strikes better than anyone I know._

Tigress opened the chest and pulled out the shield, handing it to Crane. As the avian looked it over, he saw it was just a simple disc, but it was made of gold, and carved into the front was a large Chinese character for "Confidence". Crane smiled, thinking back to his days at Lee Da.

_For Monkey, a spear made entirely of metal, sure to come in handy when fighting. It can never break. It was used by the General of the Army, a brave cheetah named Zhan. Use it well; I pass this on to the student that always knew how to cheer everyone up, even in the darkest of times._

Tigress removed the spear and handed it to Monkey. The primate held it firmly in his hands, and he noticed the tip nice and sharp. It was made of steel, like a blade, and carved into it was the Chinese symbol for "Compassion". Monkey remembered his practical jokes when he was younger and sighed.

_For Mantis, a cloak that was worn by the general's right-hand man, also a praying mantis. He did not need any weapons, for he was fast as lightning, just like you. Wear it proudly, for you are fast as he was, and he had died saving the lives of his wife and children._

Mantis received the cloak from Tigress, looking it over. It was all red, with golden cuffs on the sleeves. On the back of the cloak was the Chinese character for "Patience". Mantis put it on, remembering the crocs that captured him. He felt unworthy of such an item, and wanted to return it. But he wore it to honor his master.

_For Viper, a ribbon used by a very kind snake woman our army rescued. Before we got her home, she would dance for us so beautifully it reminded me of you. She gave me the ribbon as a gift of gratitude. I pass it on to you so that you may brighten your spirits as you did to me. You are my most flexible student, and I thank you for that._

Viper took the beautiful ribbon in her coils and stared. It was the color of green jade, and sewn on the fabric in gold thread was the Chinese character for "Courage". Viper held back her tears when she remembered her home and fighting the gorilla. Viper sighed, missing her master.

_For Po, the sword used by my good friend, an otter named Chang. His children were admirers of yours. Use this sword honorably and only use it to kill if absolutely necessary. You were the light that brought me out of the darkness when Tai Lung returned. You brought peace to me, and I will be eternally grateful._

Po grasped the handle of the magnificent sword, staring at the white blade. In the blade were the characters that spelled "Dragon Warrior". Po bit his bottom lip and fought back tears.

_Finally, for my daughter, Tigress, I give you one of the fans used by the general's daughter, Captain Lijuan. She made this fan out of swords and throwing stars. Like Monkey's spear, it will never break, and it is a wonderful tool to use in battle. Lijuan wanted me to give one to you when she heard that I was your father. Use it well, and never forget your training._

Tigress took out the fan and opened it. The inside was so clear and shiny that Tigress thought she was looking into water. Carved into the side were the Chinese characters for "Discipline" and "Leader". But on the inside, Shifu had carved out, "I love you, my sweet daughter." Tigress broke down and cold, silent tears streamed down her face. Crane took the scroll and finished it.

_I apologize for me leaving you. I wish it weren't so. Remember me as your master, and know that I am proud of all of you. I regret that I was so distant, but I realize my mistake, and I beg you all to forgive me. You are all not only my students, but my children I never had. _

_My precious children, remember me always, and never forget what I have done._

_Your master and father,_

_Shifu _

_P.S. Please return my father's sword to his shrine in the Sacred Hall of Warriors_

_P.P.S. I have always loved you all as though you were my children. I will miss you. _

Crane sighed and set the letter down. Everyone stayed silent, missing Shifu. They had loved him despite him being so cruel and heartless. He had changed and showed more emotion, had he not? Every single animal in the room held on tightly to their gifts, feeling unworthy of possessing them, wishing to return them, but honoring their master. Everyone wanted to see Shifu again, and tell him they loved him as a father.

And now, he was gone.

A/N: I think I cried writing this. But that's not the end! Read and Review and I'll update!


	2. Lost at Sea

Chapter Two- Lost at Sea

FIVE YEARS LATER

"Hey Monkey." Po said, walking into the kitchen where the Five were. "You have a letter." He tossed the scroll to Monkey, who caught it half-heartily. Po got started on cooking breakfast as Monkey read the letter to himself. Ever since Shifu had died, nobody really was in a good mood. Tigress had fully retreated herself into her conscious, and she refused to talk to anyone. All she did was eat, sleep, and train.

"It's from my uncle." Monkey said as he finished the letter. "He's returning from Africa and wants to take us all on a boating trip."

"What was he doing in Africa?" Viper asked.

"Selling goods, catching up with friends, seeing family; the usual." Monkey shrugged. "He says he heard about Shifu and wanted to cheer us up."

"Some uncle." Po said. "He really has a boat?"

"It's a large ship." Monkey said. "My uncle always loved the sea, and he dedicated his life to the open waters, or at least that's what he said." Po served up rice for breakfast and everyone ate.

"I say we go." Po said. "I've never been on a ship before."

"Monkey's uncle does have a good point." Crane said. "We could use a pick-me-up."

"And go boating?" Mantis asked.

"The boat's very safe." Monkey said.

"I think it's a good idea." Viper said. "A couple days of fresh, ocean air might do us some good."

"All in favor of going speak up." Monkey said. "My uncle will be in the harbor in a few days. I'll go, who's with me?"

"I'll go." Mantis said. "I've never seen the ocean."

"I'm in." Po said. "I want to see that sweet boat."

"I'd love to go." Viper said.

"Absolutely." Crane said. They all turned to Tigress, who sighed.

"It won't be much fun without you." Viper said.

Tigress gave off the faintest of smiles. "I guess I'll join you." She said. Everyone cheered. "Besides, someone has to keep you all in line." She added. They all laughed for the first time in five years.

*****

A few days later, after ordering Zeng to watch after the Valley of Peace, the Five and Po arrived at a harbor ten miles away. Monkey led them down the dock all the way to the end. Po looked a little green, despite him having fur.

"I think I know why I don't come to the ocean." He moaned. Suddenly, he rushed to the edge of the dock and vomited bile into the water.

"Eww." Viper said.

"Don't worry, Po." Monkey said. "My uncle is so good at sailing he'll make the trip nice and smooth." Finally, they arrived, and Po, Tigress, Mantis, Crane, and Viper stared with awe at the magnificent ship. It was sleek and smooth, painted brown with red sails that looked like they were made from paper lanterns. The crew on the boat varied from many different species, some from other countries, therefore only Monkey knew what and who they were. Monkey led his friends onto the boat, and the crewmen and women welcomed them.

"Monkey!"

The Five and Po turned to see a very old golden langur coming towards them. He was wearing pants like Monkey's, but he also wore a torn up T-shirt and carried a sword at his hip.

"My nephew!" he said, smiling. "How are you?"

"Great." Monkey said. "Except for…."

"No need to say it." Monkey's uncle said. "I'm very sorry to hear it." Monkey's uncle brightened up. "So, I reckon your friends are the rest of the Five and the Dragon Warrior?"

"Yep." Monkey said proudly.

"Pleasure to finally meet you all." Monkey's uncle said. "My name is Saru."

"Nice to meet you." Viper said.

"So, you all ready to go?" Saru asked, walking off to the steering wheel. The Five and Po followed.

"Where exactly are we going?" Tigress asked.

"To a friend of mine that lives in Japan." Saru said. "Hoist sails and prepare to take off!" he yelled. The crew got to work. "My friend owns a very nice restaurant, and I believe you'll enjoy yourselves."

"Thanks, Uncle Saru." Monkey said.

Soon, the boat moved away from the dock and was smoothly sailing off to Japan. Saru told the Five and Po that they could move around freely and it would be a good three to five hours before they docked again.

"So enjoy yourselves, but please don't go overboard." Saru said. So the six kung fu warriors walked about. Monkey stayed with his uncle to hear about his time in Africa. Mantis, Crane, and Viper talked to the other sailors, mostly about how the women got there. Turns out, most of them were wives to the men on the boat. Po was excited to hear that there was a famous pirate on the boat that had changed sides after mistakably sinking his own ship, so he talked with him. Tigress was the only one not socializing. She was staring out into the open ocean, thinking about Shifu. Of all the people that missed him, she seemed to miss him the most.

After about an hour sailing, the mood started to spiral down into calmness. Po took a nap on a bench. Monkey helped his uncle steer. Mantis joined Monkey at the wheel and Crane amused himself by flying about the ship. Viper slithered to Tigress, who was still staring out into the ocean.

"What's up?" Viper asked.

"Nothing." Tigress asked.

Viper sighed. "I know you miss Shifu." She said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not unless you can bring back the dead." Tigress said. Viper opened her mouth to say something, but then, the sky got dark. Everyone on the ship looked up at the sky and saw dark storm clouds gathering. Even Po woke up to find himself in darkness. Soon after that, there was a flash of lightning, and the waves got choppy and big. Thunder clapped, lightning flashed, and the crew and the kung fu warriors found themselves struggling to hold on and not be thrown overboard.

"Stay steady!" Saru yelled over the wind. It started to pour down in rain. "Lower the sails! I'll steer us to safety! All of you get under the deck!" The sailors obeyed, rushing about to carry out their captain's orders. "Monkey!" Saru yelled. "Get your friends and get below!" Monkey nodded as he ran off, dropping off Mantis at the door to down below. The little bug rushed off. Monkey grabbed Po and the girls and pulled them thru the stormy weather to the doors. The crew was already below, helping them to get them in. Suddenly, Viper remembered Crane, and she slithered away.

"Viper!" Monkey yelled over the wind and rain. "Come back!" Viper kept going, calling for her avian friend. Then, she saw him, high up on the mast, clinging to it for his dear life. Viper slither up the ropes and to where her friend was.

"Crane!" she yelled. "Follow me!" Crane, terrified of the storm, obeyed. Viper led him carefully back down the ropes to the deck. They started running to the doors where their friends were waiting. They almost made it when a large wave suddenly came. Viper, desperate to save her friends, shoved Crane to the others. The wave crashed down onto the deck. Water pushed the others down the steps and the rest of the wave washed Viper up and over the railing, down into the water.

Down below, the crew and the warriors sputtered out water. Po rushed upstairs to find Viper. When he didn't see her, he ran to the edge. But he didn't see the snake warrior anywhere.

"Where is she?" he yelled.

"Dragon Warrior!" Saru yelled. "Get below! I'll steer us to the eye of the storm!"

"How's that supposed to help?!" Po screamed.

"It's the calmest part of the storm!" Saru yelled. "Now get below! Your friend will be alright!" Po stared out into the raging waters, then reluctantly left.

*****

In the ocean, Viper was being tossed around, hardly having time to breathe. She had long since lost sight of the ship, and was now just trying to find land. Then, she saw trees and a beach light up by the lightning, and she started to swim. But she didn't get far when she was suddenly thrown against a bunch of rocks.

Viper was out cold.

A/N: Still more to come! Read and Review!


	3. The Kind Fisherman

Chapter Three- The Kind Fisherman

The next morning, as Saru docked the ship at a Japanese harbor, the old captain led the kung fu warriors to his friend's restaurant, insisting that he should buy them breakfast. But they only ate out of politeness. They were thinking about Viper, lost at sea, or washed up on a beach, hopelessly lost. Saru sighed.

"Listen, I'm very sorry." He said. "I never thought that there would be a storm."

"It's not your fault." Monkey said. "How were you supposed to know?"

"Well, I still feel responsible." Saru said. "So I will do everything I can to bring her back."

"How do you know she's here?" Tigress demanded. She sighed. She didn't mean to be so cross, but she had lost her father. She would not allow her friend to leave her as well.

"We will be staying here in Japan for a week." Saru said. "We can spend the entire time searching for your friend, if you wish. After that, we must leave, and there will be no other way to your home."

"But what if we don't find Viper?" Crane asked.

"Then I will have my friends here look for her." Saru said. "But we must have faith." Everyone agreed and finished their breakfast.

*****

Now, Viper was still knocked unconscious on the rocks. The waves crashed close to her limp body, threatening to sweep her away into the ocean.

A ways away, out in the ocean, there was a fisherman in his small boat, fishing for _hazekuchi _and hoping to catch some for his dinner. He wore simple brown pants and very worn-out shoes. He also had on a grey, worn out T-shirt and a wide brimmed hat that hid about half of his face and his ears. He was quite small, maybe the size of an otter, but he wasn't an otter at all. No one really knew what he was. Soon, he pulled in a nice and large _hazekuchi_, pulling it up and killing it quickly with his dagger. Feeling satisfied with his three fish, the fisherman stowed away his dagger and fishing pole. Then he hoisted up the small sail to his boat and started smoothly gliding towards the land. But when he got closer to the beach, he noticed something long and green on a group of rocks ten feet from the shore. Thinking it was an eel, the fisherman steered his boat towards the rocks. But he was very surprised to see not an eel, but a bright green tree snake. She had lotus blossoms on her head.

"What on earth?" he said. He lifted up the snake's head and noticed the snake was still breathing. So the old fisherman gathered the she-snake into his arms and set him down on the seat opposite of him. The fisherman set up the sail and sailed home. He stopped his boat at an old dock that led to his very small hut. The fisherman tied his boat tightly to the dock and gathered his things. He tied his dagger to his belt and hoisted his fishing pole onto his shoulder with his three _hazekuchi _tied to the end. Then he gathered the she-snake in his free arm, hopped onto the dock, and walked to his home. Inside, it was only one room, with a rolled up bed mat in the corner, a fireplace at the end of the room, and a small closet. There was a bucket of water and a bunch of cooking stuff to the left, and a wooden table next to it. There was also a small chair to the right.

The fisherman leaned his fishing pole against the wall next to the door and dumped the fish on the table. Then he unrolled his bed mat and set the snake down on it. Then he walked over and started cutting up and preparing the fish for dinner. He figured that since he had a guest, he might as well share some of his catch. So he cut up the fish and when it was ready to fry, he set it aside. Then the fisherman started making rice for his and his guest's lunch. By the time he was done, the she-snake was starting to wake.

Viper stirred and raised her head, groaning.

"What a night I've had." She muttered. Then, she jumped when she saw where she was. She looked around, wondering what had happened. But then Viper became afraid when she saw the old fisherman with is dagger. She was almost afraid he'd come and kill her, but the kind old man just came over to check for wounds.

"Hello." Viper said. She couldn't see the fisherman's eyes, but she could tell he was nice.

"_Hajimemashte._" He said. Viper stared, and then realized she must've landed in Japan.

"I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you." Viper said.

"_iie._" The fisherman said. "_Namae wa Tatsujin._" Viper stared once more.

"I don't understand." She said. "Do you speak English?"

"_Hai._" The fisherman said, nodding.

"Then, can you speak to me in English so I can understand you?" Viper asked. The fisherman chuckled.

"Of course." He said. His voice was rough, but kind. "I am Tatsujin."

"I am Master Viper of the Furious Five." Viper said. The fisherman seemed surprised.

"Really?" he said. "I haven't heard of you in a long time. I thought you lived in China."

"I do." Viper said. "I was on a boating trip with my friends when a storm washed me overboard and separated us."

"Oh, that's a shame." Tatsujin said. "Please, come." He led her to the small table and served her some rice. "Eat up. You'll need the energy." Viper was very hungry after what had happened, so she obeyed, eating politely. Then, after a couple mouthfuls, she noticed that Tatsujin wasn't eating at all.

"Aren't you going to eat?" she asked.

"It is only courteous for you to eat first." Tatsujin said. "I'm not that hungry." Viper stared a little and couldn't help but notice that Tatsujin was quite thin. Viper tried to make him eat, but Tatsujin refused, so Viper just ate a few more bites and left the rest. Tatsujin put the rice away for later.

"Well, is there anything else I can do for you?" Tatsujin asked.

"Not unless you can find my friends." Viper said. Tatsujin stroked his white beard with thought. "You know what? I go into town at the end of every week to sell some of my caught fish and grown vegetables. I'll tell the people there that if anyone asks about a snake, they should come to me. Would that help?"

"I think so." Viper said. She bowed. "Thank you."

"Not at all." Tatsujin said. "Now why don't you make yourself at home? I have to go tend my garden around back. If you get hungry or if you need anything, just tell me." Tatsujin walked off, leaving Viper alone in the strange house.

*****

At the same time, Po and the others were in town, searching for their lost friend. They had each split into pairs to cover more ground, but it didn't seem to be helping. Crane had Mantis on his back as he flew above the town, Po and Monkey had gone one way down the road and Saru and Tigress had gone the other way. But they searched all day and found nothing. Tired and upset, they returned to the boat for a night's sleep.

"What if we never find her?" Monkey asked as they all lay in their hammocks.

"We can't lose hope." Tigress said. "We can't just let her die like we did when-" She stopped, but Mantis finished for her.

"Like with Master Shifu?" he said bitterly.

"Look, it's not our faults." Po said, trying to keep the mood up. "Shifu left for war knowing he might die. In war, people die, and you can't do anything about it except honor those who had fought with courage."

Tigress sighed. "I despise the day you became so wise." She said. Everyone chuckled a bit.

"At least we can honor Shifu." Crane said. "His shrine back at the Jade Palace is quite nice."

"He was the greatest kung fu warrior in all of China." Mantis said. "Even as good as Oogway."

"Yeah, but Oogway _invented _kung fu." Po said. "So he doesn't technically count."

"Good point." Monkey said. They all chuckled again.

"You know what?" Tigress said. "I think Oogway sent that storm." Everyone turned to her. "Monkey, don't sailors say, 'Red sky at night, a sailor's delight. Red sky in the morning, a sailor takes warning'?"

"Yeah." Monkey said.

"Saru said he didn't notice any red skies that morning." Tigress continued. "Maybe Viper was supposed to be lost. We'll find her, but I think we're going to learn something from this."

"Like, be ready for a storm?" Po guessed.

"No, something…..bigger." Tigress said. They all shrugged and went to sleep, dreaming about what Viper's disappearance might mean.

*****

That night, Viper met Tatsujin at the table for dinner. Tatsujin had made sushi out of the fish he had caught.

"I hope you enjoy fish." Tatsujin said.

"Of course." Viper said. Tatsujin served Viper the best bits of the sushi and ate only a little of each. Viper was worried for the kind old man.

"Aren't you hungry?" she asked. "You look terribly thin."

"It is customary for the Japanese to honor their guests." Tatsujin said.

"Please, you've been so kind to me." Viper put some of her food onto Tatsujin's plate. "Eat unless you want to starve." Tatsujin smiled and obeyed. He had to admire the she-snake's determination and kind heart. Viper smiled and they finished their dinner in silence. When they had finished, Tatsujin set up his bed mat and gestured for Viper to lie down.

"No thank you." Viper said. "I'll just curl up in this chair."

"Are you sure?" Tatsujin asked.

"You're such a stubborn old man!" Viper said.

"And you're a stubborn young lady!" Tatsujin said. They laughed, and then fell asleep.

A/N: Read and Review!

Here are the Japanese translations-

Hazekuchi- a Japanese freshwater fish

Hajimemashte- nice to meet you

Iie- not at all

Namae wa Tatsujin- My name is Tatsujin

Hai- yes


	4. Stories and Attacks

Chapter Four- Stories and Attacks

The next morning, Viper was awoken by a warm, wet tongue. She shook her head, bolting upright. When she looked down, Viper jumped a little. In front of her was a small wolf puppy, panting happily.

"Um….." Viper said. "Hello?" The pup yipped happily and jumped onto Viper. The chair she was in toppled over and the pup starting showering her with licks.

"Hey!" Viper laughed. "Get off!" But the pup didn't stop until a rough voice called, "Jin!" Then, the wolf pup jumped off of Viper and bounded over to his master. Viper looked up and saw Tatsujin, scratching the pup behind the ears.

"I apologize." Tatsujin said. "This is my dog. His name is also Tatsujin, but I just call him Jin." Viper smiled at the cute little puppy.

"So what are you doing today?" Viper asked.

"Just relaxing for the morning, then this afternoon I have to sell some stuff in town." Tatsujin said. "Is there anything you wish to do?"

"Besides go home, no." Viper said. Ashamed of what she had said, she turned away. Tatsujin sighed.

"Hey, if it were me, I would miss my friends, too." He said. Viper smiled. "How did you get here anyway?" Tatsujin and Viper sat down at the table. Tatsujin served rice the two of them while Jin lay down at his master's feet.

"Well, seven years ago, my kung fu master went away to war." Viper said. "He told me and my friends it was an honor. We had all expected him to come home soon. But he was gone for two years. In his letters, he told us about how he was very sad at everything happening. Then, one of his letters told us he had defeated the enemy's leader, and he would be coming home." Viper sighed. "All that came back was a letter confirming his death from the Emperor, and a chest and final letter from my master. He had left us all gifts he had obtained from the war, and we never saw him again." Viper went silent. "My friends and I spent five years mourning; never forgetting. Then, my friend Monkey's uncle, Saru, thought he'd cheer us up by taking us on a boating trip. We hit a bad storm, and I was washed overboard and hit some rocks. And now I'm here." Viper turned away. "I'm sorry, but I miss my master very much. He was like a father to me." Tatsujin sighed. Viper added one last thing. "What I don't understand is how did he die? He was the greatest kung fu master in all of China." Viper put on a smile and turned to Tatsujin. "But enough about me. What bout you?"

Tatsujin smiled. "Well, I, too, was a teacher a long time ago." Tatsujin said. "I also went to battle someone some years ago. I actually beat him, but decided that I needed to settle down. I'm very old, as you can see. So I came here to live the rest of my life in peace. The dock was already here because boats used to dock here to import and export goods. So I built this house and my boat. I also made the fishing pole and caught some fish to buy food and the rest of the things I own. Jin here is my most trusted companion, for I was lonely." Viper smiled. Then, she noticed a bronze circle around Tatsujin's neck.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to it.

Tatsujin held it up. Viper saw it was a metal circle with a square hole in the middle. It was attached to a black cord. On one side were a dragon and a phoenix. On the other side were four characters. "I…..wanted to keep this….a secret…." Tatsujin said. "But….I think you deserve to know." Tatsujin sighed, and Jin whined from below. "You see, I had some students. The finest students you could ever meet. But, then I found out that the enemy I defeated had a son, and he was out for my blood. So I came here to protect my students. This amulet is all I have to remember them." Tatsujin sighed. "They were like my own children." Viper smiled. It was nice to know she was with someone who understood her. Tatsujin cleared his throat. "Well, I think I'll go out into the garden."

"I'll help." Viper offered.

"That's kind of you, but you don't have to." Tatsujin said, standing. "You're a great kung fu warrior, not a servant."

"I know." Viper said, following Tatsujin outside. "But before I was a kung fu master, I helped my mother in her garden." Tatsujin smiled.

"If you insist." He said. Viper and Jin followed the old man into the backyard.

*****

While that was happening, Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Crane, Po, and Saru were resuming their search for Viper. This time, they didn't go into pairs.

Po frantically walked around the shops, hoping to catch a flash of green anywhere. But all he found were some green watermelons. He sighed as he fell to his butt. A young mother and her daughter, both tanukis running an apple stand next to him, saw this and felt pity for the panda. The daughter came to his side.

"Can I help you with anything?" she asked. Po sighed.

"Not unless you can help me find my friend." Po said. The mother tanuki felt sorry for the poor boy and gave him an apple. Po accepted, going back to his normal habit of eating when he was upset. The apple was pretty good, but all he could think about was Viper.

"What does your friend look like?" the mother asked.

"She's a green tree snake with blue eyes and lotus blossoms in her hair." Po said. The two tanukis thought for a moment.

"I'm afraid I haven't seen anyone like that." The mother said. "What about you, Mei?" The daughter shook her head. "Well, I'm sorry we couldn't help." Po seemed depressed until Mei spoke up.

"Mother, what about Tatsujin?" she said. The mother brightened up.

"Why didn't I think of that?" she said. The mother turned to Po. "Tatsujin is a fisherman that lives on the shore of the Sea of Japan. How did you lose your friend?"

"She was washed overboard while boating." Po said.

"Well, Tatsujin should be coming into town today." Mei said. "We'll ask him about your friend. Come back tomorrow and we'll give you the report."

"Really?" Po asked. The tanukis nodded. "Oh, thank you!" Po smiled and rushed off. He came to the boat where everyone was at. His friends were glum, but they brightened up at Po's news.

"So there's still a chance!" Monkey said.

"But we'll only be here for so many days." Mantis said. "What if this Tatsujin guy doesn't know anything?"

"Well, it's worth a shot." Tigress said. "He knows things about the sea that we don't."

*****

"Well, that's it for today." Tatsujin said, standing up. "You did very well, Viper."

"Thank you." Viper said. She shook the dirt off her tail. The two of them, followed by Jin, walked back inside. Jin bounded over to under the table. The small wolf pup curled up under it and fell asleep. Tatsujin grabbed a bag of vegetables from his garden and a couple of large fish on a hook.

"I'm going into town for a while." Tatsujin said. "While I'm gone, I advise you to not go outside."

"Why?" Viper asked.

"Well, you never know what might happen." Tatsujin said. With that, he walked out the door. Viper sighed and snuggled up into the chair for a nap.

In town, Tatsujin was very successful in selling his food. He made enough money to buy some apples and some special treats for Jin. He even picked up a fish that didn't live in the Sea of Japan for dinner. After that, he still had enough to haul over until next time.

While buying apples, he was warmly greeted by Mei.

"_Konichiwa, Tatsujinsan._" Mei said, bowing.

"_Konichiwa_." Tatsujin said, bowing back. "Can I get the regular?" He handed Mei the money and Mei gave him a small bag of apples.

"By the way, can you help me with something?" Mei asked.

"What is it?" Tatsujin asked.

"Well, a panda came by this morning, saying he was looking for his friend." Mei said. "She had been washed overboard on a boating trip. Have you seen a green tree snake with blue eyes and lotus blossoms?"

"Yes." Tatsujin said. "I found her washed up on some rocks. She's looking for her friends as well."

"Great!" Mei said. "The panda is supposed to come back tomorrow, so he should stop by to get her."

"Thank you." Tatsujin said. "This'll be great news for Viper." Tatsujin grabbed his stuff and ran off. Once he got to his home, Viper and Jin were playing. It was dark and it was raining, and Viper had lit some lanterns. Tatsujin put his things away and gave Viper the good news. Viper's face lit up.

"I don't believe it!" she squealed. "I thought they would've gone back home by now!"

"Well, they'll be here tomorrow." Tatsujin said. "So be prepared." Viper smiled. She wished she could see Tatsujin's face before she left. Viper warily reached for his hat that shielded his eyes. Tatsujin smiled and allowed her. She deserved to know. Viper's tail came an inch away from the hat……

Suddenly, there was a hard knock at the door. Tatsujin and Viper's smiles disappeared. Jin growled. The knocking came again, harder this time. Tatsujin slowly walked over to the door. He opened it a crack and looked out. Standing there was a water buffalo, a boar, and two weasels. All of them were armed; the buffalo a mace, the weasels each a spear, and the boar an axe.

"Are you Tatsujin?" the water buffalo asked.

"Why?" Tatsujin asked.

"You have someone our master wants to see." The boar said. "Let us in." Tatsujin glared.

"No." he said. "Leave." He started to shut the door when the water buffalo grabbed it and ripped it off its hinges, flinging it to the side. The four bandits came into the small house, shoving Tatsujin aside. Viper backed away until she was cornered. The bandits reached for her, but Tatsujin and Jin rushed forward, putting themselves between the bandits and Viper. Jin growled. Tatsujin hissed, his hairs on the back of his neck rising. Thunder boomed from outside.

"Fine." One of the weasels said.

"You want it the hard way?" the other said. "We'll give you the hard way." The bandits lunged, and Jin tackled the two weasels. Despite his size, the wolf pup dragged them both out the door. Tatsujin grabbed the water buffalo. Thought small, he was able to fling the buffalo into the boar, sending them flying out the door.

"Stay here!" Tatsujin ordered Viper before running outside with his dagger. Viper slithered quickly to the door and watched a battle take place.

Thunder crashed. Lightning struck. Rain was pouring down. Jin was taking care of the weasels, biting and clawing them. Tatsujin was performing amazing kung fu moves. Viper was surprised the old fisherman could do such things. But something was wrong. His moves were very similar to the ones someone Viper knew used. Jin managed to take down one weasel, snapping his neck, before going after the other. But while Tatsujin was fighting the water buffalo, the boar was moving in with his axe, raising it high to strike the old man. Viper moved in quickly. She knocked the boar aside and started fighting it. The battle raged on for quite a few minutes. All the while, the storm seemed to be getting worse. Lightning was striking the sand on the beach close to the fight.

Then, Viper was knocked to the ground by the flat of the boar's axe. She hit the sand hard, barely missing a lightning bolt. The boar moved in to kill the snake.

Tatsujin saw this immediately. He kicked the water buffalo away and ran to the tree snake. He got between her and the axe, using his dagger to block the strike. Tatsujin struggled to stay on his feet from the blow. The boar gave him a very brutal punch to the face. Tatsujin flew thru the air and fell to the sand. Viper wrapped her tail around the boar and hurled him into the buffalo. Jin, who had killed the other weasel, rushed to Viper's side. They both quickly came to Tatsujin's side. They stopped short when they saw him.

Tatsujin's hat had been thrown off his head.

Viper and Jin watched as Tatsujin slowly got up to his feet, clutching his dagger tightly in his hand. Viper saw Tatsujin's face for the first time, and she was shocked.

"It can't be…" she whispered.

Tatsujin had a white face, large ears, and reddish-brown markings, including a mask over his sharp blue eyes. His whiskers were long and white. There was a fire in his eyes, a fire that clearly said, "I will fight hard and never give up."

Lightning flashed, illuminating the old man.

The old fisherman was the greatest kung fu teacher in all of China.

Tatsujin was Master Shifu.

A/N: Cliffhangers rule the world! Here are the Japanese translations-

Konichiwa, Tatsujinsan- Afternoon Tatsujin.


	5. The Truth

Chapter Five- The Truth

Shifu grabbed the dagger and charged past Viper and Jin, attacking the water buffalo and the boar. Viper watched with awe as her master cut down the two bandits mercilessly. When they were down, Shifu stood rooted in the spot, letting himself be drenched to the bone in rain. Then, Viper slithered to him.

"Master?" she asked. Shifu looked down at his snake student, and then led her back into his small hut. Jin followed. Shifu set Viper down at the table and cleaned up the hut. Only then did Viper get a good look at Shifu.

The war had changed Shifu in appearance. His eyes had some bags under them and they were tired and worn-out. One of his ears was slightly torn. Some scars were here and there on Shifu's arms and chest, obviously from swords or spears. Viper couldn't help but stare at her long lost master as he sat down, sighing. Jin curled up next to his master. Finally, Viper spoke up.

"You're alive?" she asked. It was really all she could think of. Shifu looked up and smiled. It was a very tired smile.

"I've been alive for a long time." Shifu said.

"But the war…..you sent us a letter…….and…..we…" Viper was stuttering. "You…..told us you had died. We were all devastated. Tigress wouldn't leave her room for a week. And she still barely talks." Shifu gave a light chuckle.

"I don't blame her." Shifu said. "But I had to make you all _really _believe I was dead."

"Why?" Viper asked. Shifu sighed again.

"When I told you my story, I only lied at some parts." Shifu said. "After I had defeated the enemy's leader, everyone thought it was over. But then, his son, Bojing, attacked. I helped the army defeat him, but he escaped with half of his father's men. So I told everyone there that I had to stop him. I had them give you and the others my letter and my gifts, and I also told them to inform the Emperor so that he could send you the official letter. Then, I started hunting for Bojing. I searched for a year before I tracked him here. I wanted to protect you and the others. So I changed my name, learned Japanese, and moved here to continue hunting. I found Jin abandoned on the streets as a pup, so I took him in for company." Shifu held his amulet in his hand. "This was all I had left to remember you, so I kept it."

Viper stared at her master, dumbfounded. She couldn't believe that Shifu would do so much to protect herself and everyone else. Then again, he did say in his letter that he took them as his children. She sighed.

"Let us help you." Viper said. "The others will be coming by tomorrow to get me. We'll tell them the truth and we'll all go kill Bojing."

"Absolutely not." Shifu said. "As far as everyone knows, I am Tatsujin."

"Don't you realize that we could help?" Viper asked. "Do you have any idea how much we've all missed you?"

"Bojing is _very _powerful." Shifu said. "He has many soldiers. I won't risk any of you getting hurt. I hardly even let Jin come with me on missions." Shifu stood and unrolled his bed mat. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow, I'm taking you to a friend of mine. When Po or one of the others comes to get you, you are to not tell them I was with you. Tell them you were staying with a fisherman. Then, I want all of you on the next ship to China."

"Master-" Viper started.

"Don't disobey me!" Shifu snapped. "I may be dead to you, but I am still your master." Shifu gestured to the bed mat. But Viper just shook her head and curled up in the chair again. Shifu went to sleep on his mat. Jin curled into a ball by Shifu's side.

*****

The next morning, Po and the others woke up and quickly ate breakfast. Then, they traveled down into the market. Po led them straight to the tanuki vendors.

"Hey, Mei." Po said.

"Ohayo gosaimasu." Mei said, bowing. "These must be your friends. I understand you're looking for someone."

"Did this Tatsujin guy say anything?" Monkey asked.

"He said he found a she-snake on some rocks near his house." Mei said. "Would you like directions to his house?"

"No need."

All of them turned and saw Tatsujin, Jin, and Viper coming down the road. Tatsujin had his hat on once more. Viper's friends rushed forward to hug her.

"We were so worried!" Tigress cried.

"Yeah." Mantis said. "Tigress was coming close to having a heart attack."

"Oh shut up." Tigress said. They all laughed. Tatsujin had to smile. But inside, he was hurting. It felt so good to see his students again. Unharmed, thankfully. Tigress noticed the old man and his dog and walked up to them. Tatsujin stared at Tigress. It used all the willpower he had to not raise his hat and show is identity.

Tigress bowed. "I cannot thank you enough for protecting my friend." She said. "How can we thank you?"

"Just stay out of trouble." Tatsujin said. "And…..it might be a good idea to leave Japan." Tatsujin's mind kept screaming, _This is your daughter! For the sake of the gods, show yourself! _But he kept to himself.

"Why must we leave?" Tigress asked.

"It's not safe." Tatsujin said. "There is someone here who might threaten to kill you."

"Sir, we are six very strong kung fu masters." Tigress said. "Well, _five _kung fu masters and Po." Tatsujin chuckled, but he sighed.

"Listen to me." He said. "I want you to promise that you'll protect your friends from any danger that might threaten to harm them."

"But why-"

"Please." Tatsujin practically begged. "Promise me that, when they die, it'll be of old age, not because of a battle." Tigress stared at the old man. There was something familiar about him. She bowed to him.

"I promise." She said. Tatsujin sighed and he and Jin bowed to Tigress. Then, they turned and walked off.

Tigress gasped.

Tatsujin had a bushy, red-ringed tail.

She ran after the fisherman.

"Wait!" she cried. Tatsujin and Jin turned to her. She stared at Tatsujin.

"Master Shifu?" she asked. Tatsujin's eyes widened under his hat. He hardened his heart.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said. He turned to walk away, but Tigress followed him. Tatsujin tried to duck into an alley and escape, but he and Jin got cornered. Tigress approached them. She reached forward and gently removed Tatsujin's hat.

She dropped the hat and gasped when she saw her father and master.

Tigress, shocked, couldn't do much more besides drop to her knees. She stared at Shifu, her mouth agape.

"You…" she said.

"Tigress, Viper knows I'm alive." Shifu said. "But _nobody _else can."

"Master…" Tigress said. "Why?"

"It's a long story." Shifu said. "Just go home."

"Not today."

Shifu, Jin, and Tigress looked up and saw a leopard and five gorillas jump down, surrounding them. Shifu growled at the leopard.

"How nice to see you again." The leopard said to Shifu. "This time, you won't escape." The leopard snapped his fingers, and the gorillas moved fast, grabbing Tigress and Jin. Shifu's eyes widened.

"Don't you dare harm them!" he yelled. He lunged for the leopard, but the leopard just grabbed his fist and twisted it painfully behind his back. Shifu held back a cry of pain. The leopard pulled out a long, black dagger.

"This is for my father." He said.

"What did he ever do to your father?" Tigress demanded.

"Remember the enemy leader I killed in the war?" Shifu asked. Tigress nodded. "This is his son, Bojing."

"Oh, so this is revenge." Tigress guessed.

"That, and I want total control of Japan _and _China." Bojing said. "And that can't happen until this little rat-" he thrust the dagger to Shifu's throat. "-is dead." Tigress hissed and Jin growled.

"Kill me if you have to." Shifu said. "But if you touch them you'll regret it."

"What are you going to do?" Bojing taunted. "Haunt me as a ghost?" He laughed. "I don't even believe in ghosts. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just have my friends here snap their necks."

"Because if you do, _we'll _kick your butt."

All of them turned to the alley entrance.

Po and the others were there.

Po was the first to notice that Shifu was alive. His eyes widened.

"Ok, so Viper was telling the truth." He muttered.

"You _told _them?!" Shifu exclaimed.

"Well, I thought you were in trouble." Viper said.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Bojing asked.

"Dragon Warrior." Po said. "With the rest of the Furious Five." Bojing smiled.

"Then _this _will be interesting." Bojing sheathed his dagger and shoved Shifu to the ground. "Alright, old man, I'll let you live this time. But before you leave, let us see just how good your legendary students are." Bojing snapped his fingers, and the gorillas dropped Jin and Tigress and lunged for the others. Tigress ran off to join her friends in the fight. Shifu tired to follow, but Bojing got in his way.

"I can't allow you to go." Bojing said. "This is their battle."

"Then _this _is ours as well!" Shifu said. He lunged, and he and Bojing engaged in a furious battle. Jin, seeing his master fighting, ran over to help. But Bojing was strong. He easily shoved Jin away and kicked Shifu into a wall. He grabbed his dagger and flung it like a throwing star at Shifu. Shifu ducked at the last minute and the dagger impaled the wall where is head was. Bojing lunged again, and Shifu grabbed the dagger and held it out. Bojing stopped at the last minute, right as the dagger tip touched his throat. Bojing smiled.

"Go on." He said. Shifu stood up, but Bojing was on all fours, and he stayed that way. Shifu kept the dagger to Bojing's throat. "Go ahead. Kill me." Shifu stared at the dagger. He was so close. All he had to do was thrust himself forward. Just a couple inches. A good foot or so. He'd be rid of the leopard and he could go home. "You can't do it." Bojing said. "You just don't have the guts." Could it be true? Shifu tried, but he couldn't force himself to do it. Bojing took his chance and punched Shifu in the face. Bojing grabbed the dagger and thrust forward.

Suddenly, Jin rushed forward and tackled Bojing, biting him hard on the arm. Bojing screamed in pain and unsheathed his claws, swatting Jin away. Jin yelped and fell to the ground. Bojing grabbed his dagger and held his wounded arm. He stared at Shifu with a glare that could kill.

"Mark my words, old man." He said. "We _will _meet again. And when we do, you _will _die under my blade." He barked an order, and he and his gorilla thugs ran off. Shifu stared after them until they disappeared and checked on Jin. The wolf pup was okay, just a bit beat up. The Five and Po, tired and a bit bruised, walked over to their master. Po, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis still couldn't believe that their master was still alive. They almost didn't recognized him with his war scars and his simple clothing. Po then realized that he had been a bit angry earlier.

"Why did you let him go?" he asked. "You could've ended it, but you let him get away."

"I couldn't kill him." Shifu said.

"But he deserved to die!" Monkey said.

"Yeah, he and his dad massacred hundreds of people!" Mantis said.

"That does not mean he deserves death." Shifu said, standing. "Nobody deserves death."

"But he-" Crane started. Shifu hushed them all with a stern look.

"I am not a murderer." He said firmly.

A/N: A battle will soon come! Read and review! "Ohayo gosaimasu" means "Good morning" in Japanese.


	6. Attacking Bojing's Palace

Chapter Six- Attacking Bojing's Palace

Shifu led everyone back to his hut by the shore, but, upon arriving, found it was ransacked and a mess. Realizing it would be the first place Bojing would look, Shifu led his students and his dog to a forest nearby, and they decided to talk there. The Five and Po still couldn't believe that their master, who had disappeared five years ago, was alive and sitting in front of them. But Shifu had obviously been scarred by the war, as he wouldn't talk to anyone. So they all pretty much stayed quiet.

But then, however, there was some bad news. Mantis had gone into town to check in with Saru, but when he came back, he was holding a scroll.

"Saru gave me this." He said, tossing it to Tigress. Tigress opened it and read it. She sighed.

"It's a wanted poster." She said. "For Master Shifu/Tatsujin. He is wanted for 'treason against Emperor Bojing, high ruler of Japan.' There's a heavy sum for his arrest." Shifu growled low.

"Now what do we do?" Monkey asked.

"Does the poster say anything about the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior?" Shifu asked. Tigress shook her head. "Then I want all of you to go back to Saru's boat and go home."

"And what about you?" Po asked.

"I'm staying behind." Shifu said. "I'll take Jin with me and we'll go defeat Bojing."

"What if you fail?" Crane asked.

"I'm willing to kill Bojing or die trying." Shifu said.

"Master!" Viper cried.

"I've made my decision!" Shifu shouted. "None of you can change that."

"At least let us help you." Monkey said.

"No." Shifu said. "You saw how strong Bojing was. I won't risk you all getting hurt."

"Master, please." Tigress said. "We lost you once; please don't let us lose you again."

Shifu smiled, thinking about how blessed he was to have such kind and brave students. "I survived the war." He said. "I can survive long enough to kill Bojing."

"But you said-" Po started.

"I know!" Shifu said. "Would you just, please, leave Japan and go home. If I don't come back, it only means I've died."

"Please let us help you." Viper pleaded.

"No." Shifu said firmly. He stood and gestured for his students to follow him. He and Jin led them into town. While in town, they passed Mei the tanuki, who quickly gave Shifu a hooded cloak and slipped away. Hiding himself with the cloak, Shifu led his students back to Saru's boat. Saru was very relieved to see his nephew again. But he, too, wanted to help Master Shifu when he heard of Bojing. But Shifu gave Saru a strict order to take his students home immediately. And then he ran off with Jin on his heels. Everyone stared after him. The sun was starting to set. After Shifu had disappeared into the forest, Tigress started walking down the plank to the dock.

"Where are you going?" Crane asked.

"I'm following him." Tigress said. "I don't care what you say or what he says; I'm not going to stand by and watch him be killed." Viper slithered after her friend.

"And _I'm _not going to watch my friend get hurt." Viper said. The others joined the girls.

"Somehow, we'll beat Bojing." Po said.

"That's Shifu's battle." Tigress said. "All we have to do is make sure he stays alive to challenge him."

"Then let's do it!" Monkey said. "Uncle, can you make sure you're ready to go when we return? We're leaving after we get back."

"We'll be waiting!" Saru said. Everyone nodded and ran off to join their master. But Shifu was faster, so they'd still have a ways to go.

Shifu and Jin, meanwhile, were running thru the forest to Bojing's palace. By the time they had gotten there, it was dark. They quickly but quietly ducked down behind some rocks and watched. The palace was heavily guarded, with two soldiers at the drawbridge.

"Ok, any ideas for a distraction?" Shifu asked. Jin barked softly. "That wouldn't work." Jin made a sound that sounded like a groan. "I told you: I have to protect my students." Jin whined. "I don't care if Crane could've helped; he would be in danger." Jin growled low. "I am in no way being selfish. You don't know what it's like to have students that are like your own children. Heck, you're not even married yet." Jin barked softly. "Well, if you plan to stay single all your life, fine." Shifu picked up a rock. "Let's hope your plan works." Shifu took aim and swiftly threw the rock like a throwing star. It hit a guard on the wall of the palace and he fell into the moat below. One of the guards at the gate rushed over to help him. Shifu and Jin ran over and knocked the other guard into the moat before swiftly running into the castle courtyard, hiding in the shadows.

"Ok, so your plan worked." Shifu said. "Who cares?" Jin huffed. Together, they ventured thru the courtyard, unseen, and tried to find Bojing. Eventually, they managed to find their way into the palace and walked about. They hid quickly as some soldiers passed by and then continued. But then, they ran into a servant girl. She fell to the ground and stared at Shifu, her eyes wide.

"Please don't say a word." Shifu begged. "I'm here to kill Bojing." The girl sighed.

"Thank you." She said. "He's in the throne room, down the hall, tenth door to your right. Then go straight down the hall to the large double doors at the end. But be careful."

"Thank you." Shifu said. He and Jin ran off. They followed the servant girl's directions and stealthily ran to the double doors that led to Bojing's throne room. Shifu and Jin gave each other a look of determination and nodded. Then, they burst into the room, Shifu taking a kung fu stance and Jin standing ready to pounce.

But the throne room was empty.

Shifu and Jin relaxed, walking further into the room. They stopped about ten feet from the throne itself. It was a large chair made of pure gold, with a golden cushion on the seat and covered in gems. Around the room were banners that had Japanese kanji of things like "Power", "Emperor", "Strong", and other things. Shifu sneered at the one that read "Honorable".

"Something wrong." He said. "I feel like someone else is here."

"Congratulations." A voice said. Shifu and Jin jumped. "The old man wins the guessing game. His prize: you get to die." Suddenly, Bojing appeared at his throne, sitting casually on it. "Surprised? I was given the power of invisibility by an underworld guard. And all it cost was a hundred soldier's worth of souls." Then, many soldiers came into the room, surrounding the red panda and the wolf. "Restrain them, but they are not to be harmed." The guards attacked. Shifu and Jin fought back hard, but it seemed like no matter what they did, more soldiers kept coming. Right when it seemed like they'd lose, there was a roar.

Everyone turned to the open doors of the throne room. "What in the world?" Bojing asked. Suddenly, Tigress burst into the room, snarling as she ran towards the soldiers on all fours. The rest of the Five and Po followed. Shifu was shocked, but then he smiled and fought back with newfound energy. A great fight then broke out in the throne room, with Bojing watching with amusement. Shifu and Monkey found themselves back-to-back after a minute.

"I thought I told you to go home!" Shifu said.

"Master, you really think we'd do that?" Monkey asked.

"Nope." Shifu said. He kicked a soldier in the face. "But I'm glad you came." Monkey smiled and flipped over Shifu's head to kick down a soldier. Shifu saw Bojing and he growled. Shifu ran to the leopard. Bojing smiled and leapt up as the red panda dove for him. Bojing and Shifu started fighting. Soon, though, Bojing turned invisible again, and Shifu was only punching air. He wildly looked around, hoping to catch a sound from the leopard.

Bojing, meanwhile, was weaving his way thru the fight and grabbed Tigress. He went visible and thrust his dagger to Tigress' throat, shouting, "Stop!" Everyone stopped and watched as Bojing walked a ways away from them. Shifu was horrified.

"Don't touch her." He said. His voice was a bit choked.

"Aw." Bojing said. "The rat cares for the cat."

"Bojing!" Shifu snarled. "I'm deadly serious."

"And I'm deadly serious when I say this: come quietly or the cat's blood will be on the floor." Bojing said. "Your choice."

Shifu stared at the leopard. He saw fear in Tigress' eyes. Shifu glanced at his students and Jin. They were waiting for an answer. Shifu still wanted his students safe. They were all innocent, even Jin. Shifu took a deep breath.

"I'll make a deal with you." Shifu said.

"I'm listening." Bojing said. He moved the dagger away a little.

"Do what you want with me." He said. "But my students must be released back into the village." Bojing pondered this. But then he smiled; all he wanted was Shifu anyway.

"You've got a deal." Bojing said. He released Tigress, shoving her to the floor. Shifu came to her side and helped her up. "Take them to the dungeon." Bojing ordered, walking off. The guards obeyed and led the masters and Jin to the cold, gloomy dungeon beneath the castle. The eight of them were roughly shoved into a large cell and the guards locked the door. Shifu sighed as he looked around his students were spread out as much as they could, staying silent. There wasn't much to the cell except some hay in the corner and chains on the wall. There was a skeleton in one set of chains. Shifu sat down on the hay curling into a ball.

"Now what?" Po asked.

"Well, Bojing will set you all free." Shifu said. "You can take Jin back to the palace. Heaven knows what he'll do to me."

"Master, maybe we should try and find a way out." Viper said. "What if-"

"Don't even bother." Shifu said. "I've lost; Bojing knows my weakness."

"Which is what?" Crane asked.

"Love for my students." Shifu muttered.

"Shifu, there's no fault in loving." Po said.

"Love is what made Tai Lung evil." Shifu said. "Love is what got me into this mess."

Shifu turned from his students and slept. Everyone else did the same.

A/N: Almost done!


	7. Torture

Chapter Seven- Torture

The next morning, everyone was silent, dong pretty much nothing. Shifu was curled in a ball in the corner, staying silent. Monkey and Mantis kept whispering up plans for escape, but they were quickly hushed by Tigress' cold glare.

Around midday, two guards, both boars, came into the cell. They grabbed Shifu and roughly dragged him out the cell door. Tigress leapt up.

"Where are you taking him?" she demanded.

"Bojing wants to see him." One boar said. He slammed the door shut before Tigress could jump forward to stop him. She growled.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Po asked.

"I don't know." Tigress admitted.

*****

Shifu was practically dragged back to the throne room, where he was thrown to his knees.

"You are dismissed." Bojing's voice said. The guards nodded and left. Shifu looked around but didn't see Bojing anywhere. He rolled his eyes, standing.

"Showing off a bit, aren't we?" he commented. Bojing suddenly appeared at his throne.

"I wouldn't call it that." He said. "I'm not a show off." He disappeared again and reappeared right behind Shifu. He whispered in his ear. "Everyone already knows I'm great." Shifu growled and turned to punch Bojing. But the leopard jumped back.

"Having power doesn't make you great." Shifu said. The leopard smiled evilly as he casually walked to his throne.

"For the next five days, you will undergo the tradition my father carried out in the war five years ago." Bojing said. "It's what my father did to prisoners. You see, first, he'd make them slaves. If they refused to work or if they attempted escape, they would go thru this. You, of course, will be skipping the slavery. For the first three days, you will be tortured, each day being more painful than the first. On the fourth day, you will be given the entire day to recover from any wounds during the torturing. On the fifth day, you will be executed in any way I see fit." Bojing smirked. "Personally, I believe a fight to the death seems appropriate."

"Remember our deal." Shifu said.

"I know." Bojing said. "And don't worry. Your students and the pathetic mutt will be released and they are free to go." Bojing snapped his fingers and two guards returned Shifu to his cell.

"What did Bojing want?" Mantis asked. Shifu sat down and repeated what Bojing had said.

"He can't do that!" Viper cried.

"Apparently, he can." Shifu said. "Besides, he somehow became ruler of Japan, and we are his prisoners. But he said he'll release all of you. That's all that matters."

"And your life doesn't matter?" Tigress growled.

"Not anymore." Shifu said. "I've been thru a lot. And now, I'm ready to die."

*****

The next day, Shifu started his tortures. Bojing had his dad's sinister mind and used his dad's most terrible punishments.

The first day, Shifu wa given a hundred lashings of the whip. Shifu was able to hold back his cries, but he still felt much pain. But he had been whipped before, and once the whip left deeper wounds. However, Bojing made sure that Shifu had been whipped in the face, and Shifu almost screamed.

The second day, Shifu had his hands placed on a fire for a full minute. Every second was painful, and Shifu cried out now and then. When the painful ordeal was over, Shifu's hands were badly burned. Then, he was restrained by a guard while Bojing badly beat him.

The Five, Po, and Jin could hear their master's screams, and their hearts hurt. When Shifu came back, he was thrown to the ground by a guard and barely had the strength to prop himself up. Tigress came to his side and led him to the hay in the corner, the only soft spot in the cell.

"This can't go on." She said.

"It's alright." Shifu wheezed. Bojing had given him a pretty hard punch to the stomach and he had the wind knocked right out of him.

"Master, sometimes you think your strong, but then you break down." Tigress said. "The next time Bojing does something like this, you could really die!"

"I'll be fine." Shifu said. He trembled a bit and Tigress softly coaxed him to lay down. Jin curled up next to his master, whining. Shifu fell asleep.

"There has to be some way to help him." Po whispered, as to not wake Shifu.

"What can we do except tend to his wounds as best we can?" Crane said. "We can't save him. So maybe it's time we let go." Everyone reluctantly nodded, accepting the idea. They drifted into an uneasy sleep, dreading their master's fate.

The third day came, and Shifu was taken to a small cell.

"Today is your final day of torture." Bojing said. Shifu glared at him. "Today, you will spend the entire day in this freezing chamber." Bojing opened the door. Inside, there was a small bench and the entire place was covered in ice and snow. "Good luck staying alive." Bojing shoved Shifu inside and locked the door. Shifu growled and started beating at the sides of the cell. He kicked, punched, and slammed into the walls, trying to stay warm and hoping he could break out. But he kept it up for a long time, and nothing happened. Shifu kept going, but then he landed a kick and his foot got stuck. He pulled hard, but eventually had to push off the wall with his other foot. Fortunately, he got his foot out. Unfortunately, he flew backwards and, since it was a small cell, slammed his head into the wall. Shifu was out cold in seconds.

He woke up some time later, shivering a bit. Shifu stood and walked over to the opposite wall. He saw a hole where his foot had hit, but it was just ice. No metal. No hole to the outside. Shifu groaned and kicked the wall in anger. He sat on the bench and held his head in his hands. He sighed. There wasn't much left to do except sit and wait for Bojing. But the leopard said an entire day in this cold place. How long had Shifu been in there? Shifu got bored. He walked around the tiny cell, climbed onto the bench to see outside, and messed around with the snow. But he really didn't find anything that could keep him entertained. Shifu sighed and sat down, leaning against the wall. He started shivering again. Shifu had half a mind to just sleep. But if he slept, he could freeze to death.

Then, Shifu realized that he still had his wounds open. No wonder why he was so cold so suddenly. Already, he felt like his bones were being covered with ice. Shifu moved away from the wall of ice to remove the ice from the cut on his back. Shifu started shaking. He tired to see out the small window on the door, but didn't see anything that would indicate how late it was in the day. Shifu figured that it had to be around midday. So he was stuck in here for several more hours. Shifu stepped back and tried to kick the door open. But the door was shut and locked tight. So Shifu had to stop, feeling very tired. He sat on the bench, his eyelids drooping. Though he fought hard to stay awake, Shifu fell asleep.

*****

Tigress couldn't stop pacing. All she could think about was what Bojing was making Shifu go thru. She desperately wanted to be by her father's side, even if it meant watching him suffer.

"Would you stop pacing around?" Po said.

"Give me one reason why I should!" Tigress snapped.

"Well, for one thing, you're making a ditch in the floor." Po said. Tigress looked down and realized he was right.

"I can't help it." She said. "I'm so worried. What if Shifu doesn't come back alive?"

"You heard what he said about Bojing." Crane said.

"Yeah, and remember that Shifu's a strong warrior." Po said. "He's lived thru hundreds of battles and this is only the worst that's happened. Think about what Bojing did to him: he whipped him, beat him, and burned his hands, yet Shifu still stayed strong."

"You really think he'll be alright?" Tigress asked.

"Bojing's giving him a day to recover." Po said. "That should be just enough time for him to heal and kick Bojing's butt."

Tigress sighed, praying the panda was right.

*****

Shifu forced himself to open his eyes. He was shaking so much you would've thought there was an earthquake going on. Frost and snow coated his clothes and fur. His ears drooped a little. His hands, feet, even his tail, were numb with cold. Shifu struggled to stand and realized that he had fallen off the bench in his slumber. His vision was disoriented and he was hardly aware of anything as he fell to the ground once more.

_How long have I been in here? _He thought. _How much longer until I die? I can't feel half of my body. I'm slowly dying. Why can't they just kill me now? Why won't they end my suffering? _Shifu chuckled lightly. _I'm losing my mind. I'm such an idiot. What was I thinking by even going to war? If I hadn't gone to war, I wouldn't be here. I hate war. I hate Bojing. I hate everything. _Shifu's breath was frozen in his lungs. _It's cold. I'm shaking. Jin? Why do I hear voices but see no one? Why can't you be with me? My faithful friend, you were there for me when no one else was. Help me. _Shifu went unconscious.

When he had finally woken up, he had stopped shivering. But every single fiber in his body felt cold. Not a single ounce of warmth could be felt. The old master used what little energy he had to curl into a ball, but it didn't help. Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer. Shifu slowly rose to his feet, falling thrice before he finally stood on his feet. He breathed hard as he stepped back to the wall, on the opposite side of the door. Shifu took a deep breath of cold air.

Then, he ran forward, leapt off the bench, and landed a hard punch to the small window on the door with all his strength.

The window shattered.

Shifu fell to the ground and lay there, unmoving except for the small rise and fall of his chest as he breathed faintly. The cold air in the room slowly crept out. Shifu felt the faintest feeling of warmth on his body.

Bojing returned an hour later, smiling triumphantly as he stared at the half-dead red panda on the ground.

"Take him back to his students." Bojing said. "I will join you momentarily." The guard next to the leopard nodded and grabbed Shifu by the scruff of his neck. Shifu was too weak to move or say anything. The guard dragged his limp body to the Five, Po, and Jin, who watched, horrified, as Shifu was thrown inside. The guard slammed the door and locked it. Tigress rushed to her master.

"Master?" she whispered. Shifu hardly stirred, but he managed to open his eyes halfway to show he was still alive. Tigress gently picked him up and set him down on the hay.

"What happened to him?" Po asked.

"Well, something that had to do with a freezing chamber or something." Viper said.

"You must be right." Tigress said. "He's so cold to the touch."

Then, the door opened. Jin jumped forward and snarled fiercely as Bojing came in. The leopard rolled his eyes.

"Somebody call of the mutt or I'll drown him in the moat." Bojing said. Monkey came forward and gently pulled Jin back. The wolf pup lay down next to Shifu, but he was still growling slightly. Bojing simply handed Tigress a small blanket.

"What's this for?" she growled.

"Well, it has come to my attention that it gets quite cold down here at night, so I thought I'd give you something to help." Bojing said.

"One small blanket for the eight of us?" Po said.

"Good luck in choosing who gets it." Bojing said, walking away. Everyone glanced at each other.

"He wants us at each other's throats." Viper said.

"So what do we do with it?" Mantis asked. Everyone looked at each other and they all simultaneously nodded. Tigress tucked the blanket around Shifu's frozen body, and they all curled up to sleep.

A/N: Ok, the big fight should be next. ……….Yep, it will be. Read and Review!


	8. Death to Come

Chapter Eight- Death to Come

The next day, just as Bojing had promised, Shifu was left alone. But what could he do except just lie under a blanket, trying to stay warm as he slept? Everyone kept staring at him, hoping he'd wake up soon. Outside, it was raining heavily. Tigress found a lone tin cup and held it outside, hoping to get some fresh water. Not a single person had eaten or drank in four days.

Po stared at his master, feeling so helpless he felt like beating himself up, literally. Shifu hadn't moved an inch from his spot at all since last night. Tigress walked over, holding the tin cup full of rainwater in her hand. She tried to give some to her master, but Shifu wouldn't swallow. Tigress sighed.

"There has to be some way out of here." She said, passing the cup around. "He can't even open his eyes; how is he supposed to fight?"

"He's the greatest kung fu teacher in China." Po pointed out. "He survived a lot of battles."

"But he's never gone into battle like this." Tigress said, gesturing to Shifu. He still had a bit of frost on his ears. "What if one of us went for him?"

"That would never work." Crane said.

"Give me one reason why it wouldn't work." Tigress snapped.

"I'll give you three good reasons." Crane said. "First, Shifu would murder us if he found out we had died for him; all he wants is for us to be safe. Second, Bojing would just kill whoever went out there and then force Shifu and the rest of us into slavery. Third, Bojing doesn't care about our lives; he just wants Shifu to be dead."

Tigress sighed. "I hate it when you're right." Crane smirked a little.

"So what do we do?" Viper asked. "We have until tomorrow to figure something out, and it has to be around midday by now."

"What if we ambush the guards as they come in, knock them out, grab Shifu if he's not already awake, and make a run for it?" Po suggested.

"That wouldn't work." Monkey said. "Bojing has guards everywhere."

"Then it's hopeless." Po said.

"Nothing's impossible." Tigress said.

"I never said that." Po said. "I said it was hopeless. Hopeless and impossible are two totally different things."

"Says who?" Tigress asked.

"Says me!" Po said.

"And what makes you think you're wiser than I am?" Tigress challenged.

"I'm the Dragon Warrior!" Po said, standing to face the she-tiger.

Tigress stood up and glared at the panda. "Dragon Warrior is just a stupid title!" she exclaimed. "You are nothing!"

"And you think that just because you're the leader of the Furious Five, you are better than me?" Po demanded.

"I was better than you since you first step foot in the Jade Palace." Tigress said, smirking. "And I always will be better than you. You're nothing but a big, stupid, _overly fat,_ panda!"

Po growled, and then leapt forward and started wrestling with Tigress. The others stepped back, Jin placing a paw over Shifu to protect him in case the fight came close. Viper tried moving in, but she had to jump back to avoid Tigress' claws and Po's fierce punches. Unfortunately, Mantis didn't move away fast enough and got caught in the middle of the fight.

"Somebody help me!" he cried. Monkey came forward, but his tail got in the way. Crane and Viper rushed forward to help. But, in their confusion, the six of the kung fu warriors got tangled up in a giant punch. Po and Tigress kept trying to hit each other while poor Monkey, Mantis, Crane, and Viper were trying unsuccessfully to get away. It took about an hour, but soon, the warriors stopped. Po had stepped on Monkey's tail and Tigress had tripped on it, making all of them tumble over onto the floor. They laid there, groaning.

"Monkey, get your foot out of my face!" Tigress ordered.

"I will when Po gets off my tail!" Monkey said.

"Sorry." Po said. They six warriors untangled themselves and they sat down, sighing.

"Sorry about what I said." Tigress said to Po.

"Same here." Po said. They turned to the rest of the Five.

"And we're sorry we got you guys tangled into this mess." Tigress said.

"You're forgiven." Viper said.

"Yeah, we weren't hurt that badly." Mantis said.

"But the next time someone steps on my tail, they're gonna get it!" Monkey warned. Everyone laughed.

"Now that's what I like to hear."

All of them turned and saw Shifu, sitting upright and leaning against the wall. The blanket was still over his legs, and Jin was laying beside him. They all sat in a half-circle around him, but gave him some space.

"You see, sometimes, you actually _need_ to fight to realize your mistakes." Shifu said, smiling.

"How long-" Viper started.

"I woke up when you started fighting." Shifu said. "I had overheard you arguing and thought I'd watch, see what you'd learn. And I must say you all did very well."

"We were just thinking about ways to escape." Crane said.

"I know." Shifu said. "And I don't want you to." He held up his hand to stop his students from protesting. "I know it's hard to accept. But this is my battle, not yours. I'll fight Bojing till my last breath. Who knows? Maybe I'll get out alive."

"Maybe?" Po squeaked.

"I know it'll be hardest on you, Po." Shifu said. "You haven't known me as long as the Five or Jin has." Po sighed.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I'm positive." Shifu said. "Already, I feel better. I think that, when it's time, I'll be ready to fight." So the rest of the day was of master and students, talking about what had happened over the past five years. Everyone in the room believed it would be their only time to talk.

*****

The next morning, Shifu was led to Bojing's throne room. It was partially dark, with only torches lining the wall to give light. The guards left, and Shifu heard the door being locked. He looked around, thinking he'd see Bojing on his throne. But the leopard was nowhere in sight.

"Bojing?" Shifu called.

"Relax." Bojing said, appearing next to his throne. A sword was at his hip. "I'm ready. I apologize for leaving you unarmed, but you know the rules: you've got to bring your own party favors." Shifu growled low. At the same time, he was a bit worried. Without anything to protect himself, he could be easily beat. But Shifu had fought with swords before. However, he had never fought an opponent that could turn invisible.

"Ready when you are." Bojing said, pulling out his sword. Shifu took a kung fu leopard style stance.

And the fight began.

Bojing lunged forward, moving his sword in the right position to strike. Shifu managed to block the blade and moved in to punch, but Bojing jumped away. Shifu lunged, aiming a kick to Bojing's jaw. Bojing caught his foot and threw him to the wall. Bojing swung his sword, slicing off some of the fur on Shifu's ears. Shifu took his chance and kicked Bojing's hand, making him drop his sword. Before Bojing could get his sword back, Shifu kicked it away. Bojing growled and gave Shifu a roundhouse kick to the face. Shifu bounced back quickly, but Bojing had gone invisible again.

"For the love of Heaven." Shifu muttered. He yelled, "Where are you, Bojing?" His only response was Bojing's invisible leg swiping at his legs and making him fall. Shifu got up, looking around to try and catch the leopard. But Bojing had other ideas. He punched Shifu in the face, grabbed him by the throat, and slammed him against the wall. Bojing tightened his grip, strangling the small master. Shifu gasped, unsuccessfully trying to get away. Bojing wouldn't let go.

Shifu had thought he was going to die until he noticed Bojing's form flicker. Obviously, he thought he was going to win, and was losing the focus he needed to stay invisible. Shifu noticed that Bojing's face wasn't too far away.

Shifu tested his theory. He kicked his foot out and up.

His foot collided with Bojing's jaw.

Shifu kicked outward.

He hit Bojing in the throat.

Bojing dropped Shifu, gagging from the blow to the jugular. Shifu dropped to the floor, gasping as he breathed. Bojing was furious now, and he grabbed his sword and ran over to kill Shifu. The weak master glanced up and felt something prod his side. He reached around and touched it, realizing it was his dagger. He had been wearing it the entire time! It had been under his shirt, hidden from Bojing.

He needed it now, more than ever.

Bojing thrust his sword down on Shifu's body.

He screamed.

A/N: Suspense! I'm thinking…….one more chapter to go! Read and Review!


	9. Return

Chapter Nine- Return

Time had been completely frozen. Shifu's hand was pushing Bojing's sword away from him, and Bojing was glaring at him angrily.

Shifu's dagger was protruded into Bojing's chest.

Bojing stared at the dagger, and then dropped his sword and fell to the ground as Shifu removed his dagger.

Bojing was finally dead.

Shifu sighed and wearily stood up. He slowly looked up as about a dozen or so guards came in. They stared at their dead Emperor in shock.

"You killed him?" one said, staring at Shifu.

"I'd rather he be dead than hurting more people." Shifu said.

"All hail the great master!" the guard yelled. All the guards went to one knee, bowing to Shifu. "You don't know how long we've waited for someone to kill that beast!" the guard cried. "You are our emperor; your will is our command."

"First off, I want my students by my side, and then I want every single person in this entire palace to meet me in the courtyard." Shifu ordered. The guards nodded and ran off. In a few minutes, the Five and Po were rushing to Shifu. Tigress hugged him. Shifu, in turn, embraced his adoptive daughter.

"I was scared." She said. "I was afraid to lose you."

"It's alright." Shifu said. "I'm fine."

"The guards say that you're the Emperor of Japan!" Po said. "That's awesome!"

"I know." Shifu said. "But I'm giving that power to the people of Japan."

"Why?" Crane asked.

Shifu chuckled. "Two reasons: One, the people deserve to govern themselves after what Bojing's done to them. Two, I wish to go home; it's been so long since I've seen the Jade Palace." Everyone was just happy to see Shifu alive. Jin took it upon himself to tackle Shifu to the ground and shower him with licks.

*****

Later, out in the courtyard, Shifu addressed everyone there. All the servants, guards, everyone, was out there.

"I know, you wish for me to be your emperor." Shifu told them. "But I haven't seen my home in years. I wish to return with my students to my home. As for all of you, I want all of you to go home, and spread the word that Japan and its people are free to govern themselves. Also, I will be staying to make sure Bojing gets a proper funeral." Everyone started whispering to each other, shocked. Shifu silenced them. "Bojing's father was a cruel, ruthless tyrant, and he did try to kill me. But at the same time, he was doing what he believed was right; after all, I had killed his father. And if it were me, I would want the one who killed my father dead." Everyone clapped, and Shifu met up with his students at the gates to the palace. They helped everyone get Bojing and put his body in a ceremonial funeral shroud, place him on a wooden alter. Shifu walked up with the torch in his hand to burn the alter. It was dark, and the night sky was clear.

"By giving you a proper funeral," Shifu said. "I hope that I can finally make my peace with you. May you join your father, whether in Heaven or Hell." Shifu tossed the torch to the altar. Everyone watched as Bojing's body and the altar went up in flames. Viper slithered next to her master and saw his eyes glassy with tears.

"You think he's forgiven you?" Viper asked.

"It's worth a shot." Shifu said.

When the funeral was over, the servants and guards of the palace went home, and Shifu, the Five, Po, and Jin walked to the village to get some sleep at Shifu's hut by the beach.

*****

The next morning, the kung fu warriors walked into town to go home. Everyone in the village kept thanking them. They managed to get to Saru's boat and they climbed aboard to go home.

"Master Shifu!" someone whispered.

Shifu looked and saw a leopard peeking around a corner of an ally.

"I'll be right up!" Shifu called to his students. He ran down to the ally as the leopard disappeared. When he rounded the corner, he stopped short.

The leopard was Bojing.

"Relax." Bojing said. "I'm a ghost. I just wanted to thank you."

"Why?" Shifu asked.

"You gave me a proper funeral even though I threatened yours and your students' lives." Bojing said. "You've taught me what it's like to be a man. I…….I only wish I had realized it sooner."

"I'm sorry." Shifu said.

"Don't be." Bojing said. "I met my father; he wasn't too happy that I had been defeated by you. But he's in Hell, and the gods are putting me to five years of hard labor to make up for what I've done. Then, I'll be with my mother. She died when I was born, you know."

"I'm happy that you'll get to see her." Shifu said.

"Yeah." Bojing said. "I'm also going to see my wife. Dad had killed her after I refused to go to war with him." Bojing chuckled. "So, I'm _glad _that you killed my dad."

"You're welcome." Shifu laughed. Then, he heard Tigress call for him.

"You'd better get going." Bojing said. "I doubt your students would like me here."

"Good luck in Heaven." Shifu said. "If you ever need advice, Oogway's up there."

"I can't wait to see him!" Bojing cried. "I've dreamed of seeing him for so long!" With that, Bojing disappeared. Shifu smiled and ran to the boat. Then, the crew hoisted the sails and Saru steered the boat away from the docks of Japan, heading home to China.

The trip was smooth. It was as though Heaven was granting a safe passage home as a reward for Shifu's victory and caring. The boat hit the docks at China a couple hours later. Shifu, the Five, Po, and Jin managed to hitch a ride to the Thread of Hope by some travelers with an ox pulled wagon. By the time they had gotten to the Valley of Peace, it was dark, but some of the villagers waved and welcomed Shifu back. The Five, Po, Shifu, and Jin all managed to get to the palace and went straight to bed, not bothering to eat. Everyone was so tired; Jin even curled up next to Shifu on his bed.

*****

The next morning, the Five and Po wearily got up, but rushed outside when they realized they had slept in. But when they got outside, ready to go, Shifu was nowhere in sight. Neither was Jin. A terrifying thought struck them: was it all a dream? They rushed to Shifu's room, but the old kung fu master's bed was neatly made, as though no one had been there. Everyone got extremely worried until they heard laughing outside. The six of them ran to the doors to outside and two amazing sights met their eyes.

First, there was a thick blanket of snow on the ground.

Second, Shifu and Jin were playing in the snow.

Shifu had been throwing a ball for Jin, but the wolf pup decided to tackle Shifu to the ground, and it became a sort of snowball fight. Shifu tried to hit the pup, but Jin dodged them easily, running in to tackle Shifu to the ground and shower his face with licks. The Five and Po watched for a long time before a snowball suddenly hurled towards them. It hit Po right in the nose.

"Ah!" he cried. "Cold! Cold! My nose is frozen! Ah!" Po tripped in his frenzy and fell down the short flight of steps and landed headfirst into the snow. Everyone laughed.

"Sorry, Panda." Shifu said. Po growled low, and then picked up a snowball and threw it at Shifu. The aged master ducked, grabbing another snowball and hurling it to the panda. Po ducked, and the snowball hit Tigress.

"Ha!" Po laughed. Tigress threw a snowball at the panda's face, making him gag as it flew into his mouth.

Then, it was a full-fledged snowball fight between master, student, and dog. Jin, Shifu, Monkey, and Mantis on one team, Tigress, Viper, Crane, and Po on the other. The entire morning was just them throwing snowballs at each other. Crane had it easy; he could deflect any snowball thrown at him. Jin could deflect snowballs, too; he caught them in his mouth and ate them.

By the time they had stopped, it was about mid afternoon, and everyone was wet, cold, and tired. So they stopped to go inside, get warm, and eat. Shifu had permitted a day off because of the snow. Crane went back to his room to practice his calligraphy, Po was cooking, and Mantis and Monkey cracked jokes to make everyone laugh.

Around dinnertime, Viper went off to find Shifu. She found her master in the Sacred Hall of Warriors. He was staring at Master Oogway's shrine. Jin was sitting next to him. Viper slithered to Shifu.

"Master, Po's made dinner." Viper said. Shifu said nothing for a while.

"You know, I noticed this morning that the sunlight was making this shrine glow." Shifu said. "The sunlight was shining thru the hole in the roof."

"In the evening, the sun makes your shrine glow." Viper said. Shifu smiled.

"I wouldn't have noticed." Shifu said. "It's too cloudy." Jin yawned, and Shifu chuckled.

"I think it'd be best for Jin if he ate and then went to bed." Viper said. Jin smiled at her with sleepy eyes.

"You go on ahead to dinner." Shifu said. "We'll catch up." Viper smiled and nodded, slithering off. Shifu sighed as he resumed his stare at Oogway's shrine.

"What you do think, Jin?" Shifu asked. "You think things will be alright?" Jin made a little "I don't know" whine and a curt bark. "I know I should be wiser; I just don't know what'll happen." Jin gave off a questionable whine. "I don't know; I just feel like something's going to happen." Jin barked. "I do not feel that way just because I'm old!" Jin smirked. "Don't give me any attitude." Jin rolled his eyes. He barked happily and started running off.

"Race you to the kitchen!" Jin called over his shoulder. Shifu smiled and ran after him.

A/N: Surprised by Jin's voice? It'll actually be one of the very few times he'll be able to speak. He may not speak again. Read and Review! I'm done!


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